Backchat from 24-26 July 2007
On tuesday the 24th of July 2007 we spoke to Kabemba M Bin Ngulu who is an co-ordinator at the Congolese Developments Association Non Profit Organisation.
The Congolese Development Association is striving towards promoting and support the civil society in working with the South Africa communities to make all the basic commodities by the people in the DRC. In fulfilling this mission, the Congolese Development Association is striving to build with SA communities a framework on future collaboration in skill development and training, food processing, medication, agriculture, engineering and mining.
Executive Summary
The Congolese Development Association would like to make the City of Cape Town the new metropole of the DRC with all the socio-economical facilities the city has. The Congolese Development Association also wants to achieve the revival of the Congolese society by a strong cooperation between Congolese and South Africa correspondent. The Association has a vision of duplicating Cape Town Big Business in DRC.
Achievements
Registration process with the Department of Socio-Development
Registration with the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce
Programmes
Presentation of the Congolese Development Association Pogramme to the City of Cape Town
Mobile Clinic in the Capital City Kinshasa
Trauma Center in the East-Congo
Scrap refurbishing in Cape Town
Building materials production in Cape Town
Small Scale economic integration in 5 Cities in DRC
Complementary currency and job creation in 5 major cities in DRC
All basic commodities production in Cape Town for export to DRC
Goals and Objectives
To lay a framework of communities integration in both countries
To give a clear picture of socio-economic cooperation between the DRC and South Africa
To find a socio-economical solutions for Congo from Africa
To recreate and revive the most active socio-economic market in Africa
We then spoke to Sezeka Dyani from Iziko Lo Lwazi Craftworkers.
Iziko lo Lwazi's primary objective is the empowerment of women through education and employment. At our workshops in Hout Bay, Xhosa women from the nearby settlement of Imizamo Yethu, learn how to make paper and associated products, develop their English language and numeracy skills and are encouraged to play a role in growing the non-profit organisation through product development and marketing.
Executive Summary
Since its very small beginnings, when paper pulp was produced in a tin bath on the stoep of the library of Imizamo Yethu, the project has grown to the point where we now have a small workshop and studio adjacent to the Community Cultural Centre.
Up to 13 Xhosa women regularly attend the project and there are 5 volunteer workers. A line of products using both the beading and papermaking skills have been developed and these are marketed to various shops around Cape Town, overseas and sold at the local Craft Market, which is a great entrepreneurial exercise as the women run this as their own stall and practice their communication, numerical, marketing and organisational skills. It is a good incentive for the women to improve their English.
Most of the beaders have small babies and children and they are able to bring them to socialise and play in a safe environment with the educational toys provided.
Achievements
In the past year we have had some singular successes. We have completed several big orders, including the provision of Christmas cards for one of SA's premier financial institutions.
We have perfected the making of our signature seaweed paper and extended the range to include paper made from horse manure and camel dung, a novel form of the recycling which is at the core of our philosophy. Iziko lo Lwazi workers have regularly manned their Hout Bay craftmarket stall demonstrating their craft skills and selling the project's wares.
We have also extended our premises, building a pergola to shade beaders working outside in the summer and protect the papermakers inside during the winter, and erecting a Wendy house which doubles as a visitors shop, additional work and storage space and study area.
Programmes
In addition to an active product development programme, English conversation tuition under the guidance of Maryland School of Literacy in Hanover Park, visits from health care workers, HIV counsellors, social workers are all part of the life skills training we endeavour to provide.
We like to visit other projects, i.e. other papermaking workshops and have training by other more experienced beaders when possible.
Goals and Objectives
Our goal is to encourage experienced workers to play an even more active role in the day to day running of this project; empowering them to take ownership with the hope of eventual minimal volunteer help with buying of supplies and procuring customers
This goes hand in hand with the training offered and everyone is encouraged to participate in decision-making at our quarterly board meetings. We want to be able to produce quality items for sale that people will want to own on merit, not because we are a NPO in need of support
We have seen slow but sure progress in the delivery of work and the improvement of the lives of the beaders and papermakers, as their confidence develops and they are able to take more control over the most basic areas of their lives like putting bread on the table and seeing to the wellbeing of their family
We then moved over andspoke to Rob Small from Abalima Bezekhaya.
Abalimi is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) working to empower the disadvantaged through Urban Agriculture and Environmental projects and programmes. We support our target groups’ ability to replicate their success and transform their lives in their urban and rural environments. Abalimi assists by providing the following support services: Project implementation; Resource support; Training; Organisation building; Facilitation of partnerships; Research, monitoring and evaluation.
On Wednesday the 25th of July 2007 we spoke to Charles Maisel from Black Umbrellas
The Black Umbrella’s has been established since 23rd January 2005 and has designed and piloted a new Small Micro Medium Enterprise (SMME) model that counters the common problems faced by Small Micro Medium Enterprise’s.
We then spoke to Linzi Thomas from MyliFe Project
The MylifE Project aims to create opportunities for marginalised youth in line with Government's broad social objectives through a rite of passage, mentorship, practical skills building, life skills and job training (entrepreneurial development). In doing this we hope to provide the incentive and the means to get children off the streets and prevent children from coming onto the streets
On Thursday we spoke to Ditsi Carolina whose film 'Life on the tracks' which will be documented at the Encounters Film Festival.
The film is about the railway tracks which fan out from the heart of Manila, sending trains out to the country. The tracks are alternately the children’s playground, the social centre, the karaoke stage and a means of less formal transport for the residents who live out their lives in makeshift, crowded houses dangerously close to the path of powerful, impervious trains. Life on the Tracks is a startlingly intimate, charming and compassionate portrait of a young Filipino family: happy, go-lucky Eddie and harried Pen Renomeron and their two daughters and three adopted kids. Eddie sells ducks eggs and Pen washes clothes to keep the family afloat, just. But when the landlord breaks the news that their home is to be demolished, their already precarious lives are thrown into more turmoil.
We then spoke to Claudia Deelie from Nadezhda Job Centre
Nadezhda Job Centre believes that every unemployed person has the potential to gain employment, being provided the necessary skills and motivation through volunteerism and training.
Then lastly we spoke to Pinky Pitolo and Christine Tatt from Philippi Trust South Africa
The mission of Philippi Trust is to provide affordable and accessible professional lay counselling and counselling training to both the church and community. The Trust is a non-profit organization of a public character, established for the sole objective of providing counselling and educational programmes relating to abuse, prevention of addiction to dependence-forming substances, family stability, HIV/Aids, as well as psycho-social support to vulnerable and abandoned children.
The Congolese Development Association is striving towards promoting and support the civil society in working with the South Africa communities to make all the basic commodities by the people in the DRC. In fulfilling this mission, the Congolese Development Association is striving to build with SA communities a framework on future collaboration in skill development and training, food processing, medication, agriculture, engineering and mining.
Executive Summary
The Congolese Development Association would like to make the City of Cape Town the new metropole of the DRC with all the socio-economical facilities the city has. The Congolese Development Association also wants to achieve the revival of the Congolese society by a strong cooperation between Congolese and South Africa correspondent. The Association has a vision of duplicating Cape Town Big Business in DRC.
Achievements
Registration process with the Department of Socio-Development
Registration with the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce
Programmes
Presentation of the Congolese Development Association Pogramme to the City of Cape Town
Mobile Clinic in the Capital City Kinshasa
Trauma Center in the East-Congo
Scrap refurbishing in Cape Town
Building materials production in Cape Town
Small Scale economic integration in 5 Cities in DRC
Complementary currency and job creation in 5 major cities in DRC
All basic commodities production in Cape Town for export to DRC
Goals and Objectives
To lay a framework of communities integration in both countries
To give a clear picture of socio-economic cooperation between the DRC and South Africa
To find a socio-economical solutions for Congo from Africa
To recreate and revive the most active socio-economic market in Africa
We then spoke to Sezeka Dyani from Iziko Lo Lwazi Craftworkers.
Iziko lo Lwazi's primary objective is the empowerment of women through education and employment. At our workshops in Hout Bay, Xhosa women from the nearby settlement of Imizamo Yethu, learn how to make paper and associated products, develop their English language and numeracy skills and are encouraged to play a role in growing the non-profit organisation through product development and marketing.
Executive Summary
Since its very small beginnings, when paper pulp was produced in a tin bath on the stoep of the library of Imizamo Yethu, the project has grown to the point where we now have a small workshop and studio adjacent to the Community Cultural Centre.
Up to 13 Xhosa women regularly attend the project and there are 5 volunteer workers. A line of products using both the beading and papermaking skills have been developed and these are marketed to various shops around Cape Town, overseas and sold at the local Craft Market, which is a great entrepreneurial exercise as the women run this as their own stall and practice their communication, numerical, marketing and organisational skills. It is a good incentive for the women to improve their English.
Most of the beaders have small babies and children and they are able to bring them to socialise and play in a safe environment with the educational toys provided.
Achievements
In the past year we have had some singular successes. We have completed several big orders, including the provision of Christmas cards for one of SA's premier financial institutions.
We have perfected the making of our signature seaweed paper and extended the range to include paper made from horse manure and camel dung, a novel form of the recycling which is at the core of our philosophy. Iziko lo Lwazi workers have regularly manned their Hout Bay craftmarket stall demonstrating their craft skills and selling the project's wares.
We have also extended our premises, building a pergola to shade beaders working outside in the summer and protect the papermakers inside during the winter, and erecting a Wendy house which doubles as a visitors shop, additional work and storage space and study area.
Programmes
In addition to an active product development programme, English conversation tuition under the guidance of Maryland School of Literacy in Hanover Park, visits from health care workers, HIV counsellors, social workers are all part of the life skills training we endeavour to provide.
We like to visit other projects, i.e. other papermaking workshops and have training by other more experienced beaders when possible.
Goals and Objectives
Our goal is to encourage experienced workers to play an even more active role in the day to day running of this project; empowering them to take ownership with the hope of eventual minimal volunteer help with buying of supplies and procuring customers
This goes hand in hand with the training offered and everyone is encouraged to participate in decision-making at our quarterly board meetings. We want to be able to produce quality items for sale that people will want to own on merit, not because we are a NPO in need of support
We have seen slow but sure progress in the delivery of work and the improvement of the lives of the beaders and papermakers, as their confidence develops and they are able to take more control over the most basic areas of their lives like putting bread on the table and seeing to the wellbeing of their family
We then moved over andspoke to Rob Small from Abalima Bezekhaya.
Abalimi is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) working to empower the disadvantaged through Urban Agriculture and Environmental projects and programmes. We support our target groups’ ability to replicate their success and transform their lives in their urban and rural environments. Abalimi assists by providing the following support services: Project implementation; Resource support; Training; Organisation building; Facilitation of partnerships; Research, monitoring and evaluation.
On Wednesday the 25th of July 2007 we spoke to Charles Maisel from Black Umbrellas
The Black Umbrella’s has been established since 23rd January 2005 and has designed and piloted a new Small Micro Medium Enterprise (SMME) model that counters the common problems faced by Small Micro Medium Enterprise’s.
We then spoke to Linzi Thomas from MyliFe Project
The MylifE Project aims to create opportunities for marginalised youth in line with Government's broad social objectives through a rite of passage, mentorship, practical skills building, life skills and job training (entrepreneurial development). In doing this we hope to provide the incentive and the means to get children off the streets and prevent children from coming onto the streets
On Thursday we spoke to Ditsi Carolina whose film 'Life on the tracks' which will be documented at the Encounters Film Festival.
The film is about the railway tracks which fan out from the heart of Manila, sending trains out to the country. The tracks are alternately the children’s playground, the social centre, the karaoke stage and a means of less formal transport for the residents who live out their lives in makeshift, crowded houses dangerously close to the path of powerful, impervious trains. Life on the Tracks is a startlingly intimate, charming and compassionate portrait of a young Filipino family: happy, go-lucky Eddie and harried Pen Renomeron and their two daughters and three adopted kids. Eddie sells ducks eggs and Pen washes clothes to keep the family afloat, just. But when the landlord breaks the news that their home is to be demolished, their already precarious lives are thrown into more turmoil.
We then spoke to Claudia Deelie from Nadezhda Job Centre
Nadezhda Job Centre believes that every unemployed person has the potential to gain employment, being provided the necessary skills and motivation through volunteerism and training.
Then lastly we spoke to Pinky Pitolo and Christine Tatt from Philippi Trust South Africa
The mission of Philippi Trust is to provide affordable and accessible professional lay counselling and counselling training to both the church and community. The Trust is a non-profit organization of a public character, established for the sole objective of providing counselling and educational programmes relating to abuse, prevention of addiction to dependence-forming substances, family stability, HIV/Aids, as well as psycho-social support to vulnerable and abandoned children.
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